SAMPLE Developmental Psychology

Chapter3: Genetics, Prenatal Development, and Childbirth

Overview

Now that you have learned a bit about the history, research, and ethical portions of developmental psychology, it is now time to explore genetics, prenatal development, and childbirth. This is the beginning of the developmental cycle. There will be information pertaining to genetic diseases that may affect development, including the formation of the egg and its progression into a fetus. Childbirth is later

discussed in this chapter. Learning Objectives

At the end of this chapter, you should be able to:

● Understand basic concepts of genetics and the genetic code. ● Explain genetic and chromosomal abnormalities. ● Describe the different stages of prenatal development.

● Define and understand what teratogens are. ● Explain the steps of the birthing process. A. Concepts of Genetics Gametes are where we start with development. They are also considered sex cells. Females have egg gametes, and males have sperm gametes. When the male and female gametes come together, this material creates a zygote . Zygotes divide from one cell into two cells, two cells into four cells, etc.

All cells contain chromosomes, and chromosomes are located in the nucleus. Body cells, called somatic cells , have 23 pairs of chromosomes, totaling 46 chromosomes in the human body. Half of the 46 chromosomes come from the mother, and the other half come from the father. Genetic information is carried by DNA or deoxyribonucleic acid . All DNA cells contain a sugar called deoxyribose, a group of phosphates, and four different bases. The first base is adenine , followed by

© 2024 ACHIEVE ULTIMATE CREDIT-BY-EXAM GUIDE | DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY

46